Unopened time capsule found in Blackwater church
A couple who have gone viral on Tik Tok for renovating a church have found heaps of remarkable items in a time capsule out the front. Here’s what’s inside:
Central Queensland
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Queensland. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A couple have gone viral on social media after buying a church and renovating it, but they have made a shocking discovery in the front yard.
Ange Taylor and Nik Kettle from Blackwater purchased the old Anglican Church in Blackwater in December 2021 and have decided to renovate it into a half-acre family home.
They made an offer to buy it only 10 minutes after the ‘for sale’ sign was hammered into the ground.
It could take at least a couple of years to renovate the church, they estimate.
Inspired by other renovation Tik Toks, they decided to start an account themselves.
They’ve quickly amassed over 263,500 views on their first video with tens of thousands on their other short clips.
Mr Kettle was mowing the lawn one day and eventually found a strange object in the ground.
Ms Taylor grabbed her camera and started filming for Tik Tok.
“It was next to the rock in the front yard and it was a piece of drainpipe with a screw top on it,” Ms Taylor said.
This time capsule was planted in 1995 to celebrate 25 years of the Anglican Church in Blackwater.
It was supposed to be opened in 2020 but for some reason, it wasn’t uncovered until Mr Kettle found it.
Ms Taylor suggests it could have been because the new reverend didn’t know about it.
There was no plaque or sign indicating the time capsule was there.
They uncovered heaps of historical items from 1995 but unfortunately, the capsule wasn’t watertight and many items were damaged.
The first thing they pulled out was a Kraft jar, which contained a brown substance.
Ms Taylor believes it is dirt.
Another item was a copy of the Blackwater Herald from June 13, 1995.
There was a write-up of the 25th anniversary of the Anglican Parish on page 3, with mention of the time capsule.
Some handwritten letters from the children who attended church were found.
Krystel Hansen, now 38, wrote, “all the people in this church are very friendly”.
Leah Bonshek wrote, “things will probably be very different to what it is now!”
Other items included a candle, a receipt, a tea towel with a picture of the Blackdown Tablelands, children’s pictures, a pen in a case, pictures of the anniversary, an Anglican Gazette, pin badges, coal and a drought newsletter.
Houses were dirt cheap in Backwater back in 1995 and they cost between $130,000 and $180,000 in one Herald ad.
Owners could pay off a ‘blue chip property’ as cheaply as $5 per week.
Digging up an old time capsule can reveal so much history about the building it was in and the organisation that ran it.
“We were actually quite stunned that the church had a cattle property,” Ms Taylor said.
“They had written up there the boundary of the cattle property were Bauhinia Downs and a few other places.
“They had 200 head of cattle.”
Blackwater had a population of about 8000 back in 1995, which is about double what it is now.
Masses became less frequent as time went on and were only held once a month by the time it was sold.
“People aren‘t utilising it, there’s not many pastors left rural and remote areas,” Ms Taylor said.
A small palm tree was planted when the time capsule was buried - it’s still there and they plan on keeping it.
More Coverage
‘Drove to get away from angry wife’: XXXX drink driver’s dopey move
After downing XXXX Bitter beers and having a blue with his wife, an out-of-work boilermaker hopped in the car but when police pulled him over, they also spotted some suspicious plants in the back.
Aspiring beautician’s boozy crime spree and alleged violent robbery
A teenage aspiring beautician who stole cosmetics, bikinis and Bundaberg Rum while on a crime spree has been ordered to stand trial for an alleged robbery.